Air quality warning ends in Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley

British ColumbiaAir quality warnings for Metro Vancouver and the the Fraser Valley have been lifted as winds bring cleaner air into the region.Warnings had been issued for Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley earlier this weekCBC News · Posted: Sep 06, 2025 8:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoAir quality advisories went into effect in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Sept. 3, 2025 due to smoke from nearby wildfires. Many of the advisories were then lifted on Sept. 6. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Air quality warnings for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have been lifted as winds bring cleaner air into the region.The rescinded warnings had been in effect since Wednesday.While the warnings were lifted Saturday for Metro Vancouver and the central Fraser Valley, they were lifted for the eastern Fraser Valley on Sunday morning.The Metro Vancouver Regional District said Sunday morning that the air quality had improved due to southerly winds bringing cleaner air into the Lower Mainland.Air quality warnings remain in effect for nearly the entirety of the province on Sunday morning — excluding Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, the central and north coasts and northwest B.C.”During a wildfire, smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour,” the province said in an air quality advisory.Use caution outside: expertResidents are advised to be mindful when going outside during an air quality warning.When exposed to wildfire smoke, common symptoms can be a mild cough or sore throat, according to Angela Yao, senior scientist at the Environmental Health Services at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.Yao said most of the symptoms are temporary.”It will go away when the smoke goes away,” she said, but added the symptoms can be more serious for people with certain chronic conditions like asthma or heart disease.She recommended reducing exposure to low-quality air.”Take it easy, and limit the time and how intense the activity is when you go outside,” she said. “Because the harder you breathe the more smoke you inhale.”Metro Vancouver also recommends drinking plenty of water and considering wearing a well-fitted mask.With files from Michelle Morton and Lauren Vanderdeen